Weapons Certain star players are deemed to have "weapons" which can enhance their performances and create game-changing plays. For example, players with the "Smart Quarterback" weapon are able to read defensive schemes and
audible accordingly. Possession receivers can make tough catches over the middle, Shutdown corners can stay on even the toughest receivers, and Spectacular Catch receivers are able to leap over defenders and make difficult grabs. Another added feature is to change players' positions to utilize their individual talents more effectively, such as
Devin Hester (who can be converted from
cornerback to
wide receiver) and
Brandon Marshall (who can be converted from wide receiver to tight end). It is also possible to move around offensive and defensive linemen with little effect to their overall rating. However, on the
PlayStation 3 version of the game, player positions are locked and cannot be changed. The weapons feature can be turned on or off in the game settings.
Superstar Mode additions With the addition of the
Campus Legend mode to the next-gen version of
NCAA Football 08, players are now able to take their player from Campus Legend mode and import him into ''Madden's
Superstar Mode''. In addition, players are able to create a player, take over the careers of select rookies from the
2007 NFL draft and use them in Superstar Mode. A number of features have been left out in this year's Wii version, most notably, the ability to edit the game player's superstars appearance as the Superstar Mirror is no longer selectable, and the Barber Shop in the City Map is also no longer selectable. Users are stuck with the random hair combination given to the user while registering their new superstar. Although certain new features have been added as well. For example, a player can have more control over their character while firing agents, while the selection of rookies is more extensive, although it is not available for
Nintendo DS.
Player attributes For the first time, a player can receive an attribute of 100 only for the best players and only for skill positions.
Devin Hester (speed),
Peyton Manning (awareness),
Tom Brady (awareness),
Champ Bailey (man coverage), Reggie Bush (acceleration),
Lorenzo Neal (impact blocking),
Larry Allen (strength), and
LaDainian Tomlinson (juke move and elusiveness) as well as many of the Hall of Fame unlockable players, are the only in the game with such skills. However, if the player is edited, these attributes will drop back to 99.
Player info Certain players such as
Byron Leftwich,
Josh Cribbs and
Vernon Davis who are from the
District of Columbia have a blank home state. If the player moves the state, the blank spot is no longer present.
Michael Vick is featured in the game as the
Atlanta Falcons quarterback for the last time before his suspension from the
National Football League in August 2007 for violating its player-conduct policy. He was removed in the first roster update.
Trophy room The trophy room in
Madden 08 is similar to the My Shrine feature in
NCAA Football 08. The
PlayStation 2, Xbox, and
GameCube versions of Madden 08 have a
fantasy football-type game mode called Fantasy Challenge Mode in which players draft the ultimate NFL dream team while advancing through four levels of gameplay. ==Reception==